Christian Living

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“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2.

Conformity to the world is a disturbing trend in the Christian life today. The thinking appears to be in many churches: “How can we fit in with the community? How can we get them to like us?” This was never taught by Jesus – in fact He told believers the world would hate them. (John 15:19) True to His word, the early believers were stoned, persecuted, jailed, even killed, because they told the truth, the whole gospel. They held nothing back.

That was their direct style, the results were dramatic, and they didn’t use devious “friendship evangelism”. Those trendy words have crept into 21st century Christianity without credentials - like an uninvited guest at a party.

Why this strange desire by pastors, ministers and church committees for themselves and the flock to fit in, to be liked by the world at large? Why this policy of never upsetting anyone, even to the extent of withholding the truth? It is gutless Christianity, and has led to the spiritual poverty we see everywhere.

People nowadays think God will admit them to heaven on their terms, not His. They are misled because so few are telling them: “Realize you are a sinner. Repent, trust and believe, then you’ll get to heaven” - the truth of the Bible. Repent is the most under-used word in Christian jargon today. It isn’t fashionable.

How sad that in these politically correct days, following the trend has become more important than following the Bible.

Those “in and of the world” love to be liked, esteemed, high in the popularity stakes, and good looking. It is why facelift surgeons are rich, and cosmetics for both genders are big sellers. Such values are not ours, and God has not put us on this planet to be liked and to be popular. Talk about love, blessings, grace, yes - but also talk about sin, hell, and the price that unrepentant people will pay for rejecting Jesus. That also is in the Bible!

Christians will be hated but respected if we are doing our job and telling it like it is.

Non-Christians don’t like to hear they are sinners and on the road to the second death. The old cliché says the truth always hurts, and it does. Those bold early believers proclaimed truth and were persecuted for it. And today? Withholding the truth means we conform to the world. In doing so we turn the gospel into something weak, ineffective, spineless, and accordingly so are those who respond to it.

What is the purpose of thousands of bottoms on church seats but hardly an ounce of backbone? From this writer’s observation there is little genuine zeal to follow Jesus.

Christians and the world should be different as cats and dogs, concrete and jelly, whisky and water, silk and sandpaper.

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